The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1887-03-10

"Weli, yes. He was jealoua-and said
things-and wanted to know if I was
engaged-and made himself disagreeable
generally. 1t isn't pleasant to keep two
men apart who hate each other mortally
and somehow-to like one better than
the other, and yet neither altogether"
"Very hard, doubt not" said I, and
while saying it I was surprised to detect
a bitterness in my tone.
81 understand what you mean," she
said quickly, "but you don't know every
thing, and me least of ALL"
'sI withdraw the least suspicion Of
irony you may have thought to detect in
what said"
"That is right; now you are my good
old dear, to whom can say anything l
choose. Know, then, Haroun al Ras-
chid," q started at the playful name she
used the winter before, when for about
three weeks I had lived q series of fool
ish Arabian Nights-until she cured me
suddenly "know, then Haroun al Ras.
child, that I am sure I do love Jack after
all, and would rather see his sulky face
ten minutes than Harry all day long"
(Which can be taken in two ways"
quoth to myself. ...
II am ill and dispirited. Harry is
deep in cotillions; he leads tonight. By
the way, you must go too; 1 will not
hear no. And believe he is question
ing whether he is not throwing himself
away on me I sent ticket to Jack,
but I feel he won't come; he detests
dancing and thinks Delmonico balls low
just imagined There is no pride like
pauper;s, is there?-but then I've been
far from we'll for the last two weeks. Of
course it cannot be love; nobody gets i'll
from love, you know: but all can tell
you is that I have been in wretched
frame of mind ever since saw you last,
and that your ugly old face was as wei
come-as welcome-as q steamer chair
to drowning nerson-there."
I bent formally enough over the little
fragment of hand stiff in its glove, and
repressed sigh. Ugly! addressed!
queer! And once I, too, dreamed dreams
which this marvel of youth and beauty
never 80 much as suspected.
II will go-and with your party-and
you must give me one dance in the hall"
I cried, with all reasonable gayety. And
60 did.
It was like other balls of the kind.
There were the young women whom their
own families "boom' as beauties, and
those whom society at large has con-
vention to call beauties. There were
those whom the reporters for some occult
reason always push forward in the news.
paper reports, and the bellies from Bos-
ton and New Orleans who are not recog-
nized as such in New York. There were
the English people whom all other Eng
lish say are considered quite second-rate
in London. There was the big black
crowd Of men, the blase and timid,
blocking the doorways, and there was
that quick-eyed, quick-heelcd, quick.
motioned, but, alas. not quick-witted
army of youths and men the size of
youths, the reason for whose eyistenceis
mystery.
Talking staidly to dowagers on the
dias and watching the atmosphere thick
en- with dust and perfumes and the fine
emanations from whirling robes, soon
placed Jack, and recognized in him a
stalwart young fellow who was too poor
to belong to the giddy rout, but too proud
not to be gentleman.
I saw the whole tragedy: how he
would steal Saturday and Sunday from
the sweltering town only to find Marion's
time "taken' by the comparatively ly rich
Harry during all his stay; how he be-
came madly in love and madly jealous:
how he fumed to Marion and threatened
to beat Harry as soundly as the carpet OF
which he was knight; how Marion had
to resent his foolish talk; how they
quarreled. made it up. and quarreled to
make it up heartily no more.
He followed her with his eyes, devour-
ing the figure of one he considered lost.
yet purposely stood so that she could
not see him. To do her justice, she was
on the lookout for him and more than
once stood irresolute, beautiful statue
of hesitation, mastering the black coats
with the hope that he might shoulder
his big way through the starvclings at
the door. He saw it, too, and it gave him,
really believe, mean sort of pleasure.
Once or twice she waved favor IN my
direction, but I bowed negative and
an apology. uCl = %" 'HSA SoSS
around to the head of the cotillion, and
knew he meant to surprise her with
favor. He was not in the dance, but he
had the right by courtesy to an extra
turn, which any leader of the cotillion,
who is gentleman at heart, is glad to
recognize in men who have no partners.
He was about to rake favor from the
rack, now almost denuded of its brill
liant burden, when Harry came up.
Harry had no partner, since the weight
of cares on the shoulders of leader is
too great to make it possible for him to
do his work thoroughly and attend to
companion.
Harry arrested his arm, and / saw Jack
turn away with look that ought to have
set Harry thinking. Jack strobe over
to Marion. Isaw her rise, little fright
ened, little bewildered. and off they
went entirely alone, Just as Harry was
about to start new figure with other
couples. He ran up to them tn ask
them to be seated, but Jack would not
hear. Though his partner tried to stop,
he carried her on. I could see the veins
on his temples SWELL and he danced 40
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